This week more than 2000 surprised residents in Halton have received a voucher through their letterboxes entitling them to a free portion of chips from Black’s chippy. The giveaway was the brainchild of owner Matthew Black to celebrate the shop’s third birthday.

Matthew and his mum Kay went into business together in July 2013 on the tailing end of the recession, and with some trepidation about the future. They knew, as do many entrepreneurs, that most new startups don’t survive their first 3 years in business. Sure enough it hasn’t all been plain sailing, Kay explains "we had a lot of unexpected expenses in the first year. We have had to replace almost all of the equipment we inherited, from filters to fridges, it was all a little too tired to keep.”

However there have been triumphs for the young business too. Remarkably within their first year Black’s was awarded the industry’s top kitemark for quality, backed by the National Federation of Fish Friers. Matthew says "We made a commitment to quality and consistency from day one, and I think that is ultimately the reason for our success as a young business. We were able to very quickly build a reputation as a fish and chip shop that you could always rely on for a good meal.”

"One thing that we are certain of is that we couldn’t call ourselves a success without the continued support of Halton residents. In that regard we are very lucky. Halton has a warm and welcoming community, they embraced our family run business and have helped us through our early years. In return we try to support the local community too, not just through offering employment, but also through charitable giving and promotion of local events.”

The long list of charities and organisations supported by the fish and chip shop includes well known groups such as Saint John Hospice and Cancer Care, and many smaller ones such as Halton’s Gardening Group and the Lancaster Bulldogs. They have built up ties to the local primary school, nursing home and cohousing project, and sponsor one of the junior football teams. 

On deciding to offer this giveaway, Matthew says "I gave a lot of thought about how we could really show our appreciation to everyone in Halton. It occurred to me that the best way to show our gratitude was to give something back for free, something we happen to do really well. The chips are on me!”

The vouchers for a free portion of chips are valid for the entirety of the birthday week, 25th - 30th July, and the villagers won’t have to spend a penny to be able to redeem them. "There are no strings attached, it is simply is a gift from us to the community in Halton.”

Black’s Finest Fish & Chips is situated on the High Road in Halton, open twice daily Monday-Saturday.